Mayor's mansion plan criticized

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: Community leaders are criticizing the municipality's plan to construct a Rp 2.5 billion (US$1.037 million) official residence for the Pontianak mayor.

Antara news agency quoted Ibrahim Saleh, an informal leader, as saying here Thursday that the city had more urgent needs such as clean water supply, sewage treatment and improving the city's roads.

"The local administration will certainly have a greater asset from the construction of a new residence for the mayor, but the plan should be reconsidered," he said. (swe)